Shisen Hanten

Shisen Hanten
333 Orchard Road
#35-01 Mandarin Orchard Singapore

http://www.shisenhanten.com.sg/

Steamed Marble Goby Fish Soon Hock With Superior Soya Sauce (SGD $10 / 100g, $80 / 800g)

Generational Chefs & Michelin Stars

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 10
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 9
Value for Money: 6
Spent about SGD $58 / $90 per person.

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Founded in 1958 in Yokohama, in the Kanto region of Japan, by Chef Chen Kenmin, Shisen Hanten, also known as Akasaka Szechwan Restaurant, is a Chinese fine dining restaurant that specialises in Chinese Sichuan / Szechuan cuisine. Chef Chen Kenmin, the 'Father of Sichuan Cuisine', passed his legacy on to his son, Iron Chef Chen Kenichi, who expanded the business overseas. In turn, Iron Chef Chen Kenichi, 'The Sichuan Sage', passed the business to his son, Chef Chen Kentaro, who opened the 1st Shisen Hanten outlet in Singapore in March 2014.

Ambience at Shisen Hanten impresses with its sleek, modern, sophisticated feel. Glossy black walls against clear windows look sleek and chic, while offering fantastic views of the city from the space on the 35th floor of Mandarin Orchard Singapore hotel. The high ceiling lends a sense of space, while multiple chandeliers light the area with a white glow. Sturdy and comfortable furniture are neatly arranged in the open, communal dining space, while decor of flowers and ornate Imperial vases lend an Oriental touch. Fantastic.

Service at Shisen Hanten is befitting its 2 Michelin star, fine dining status. As the most highly Michelin guide rated Chinese restaurant in Singapore, expectations are high. I'm glad to say that staff are professional, courteous, and efficient. Able to converse in both English and Chinese Mandarin, guests are quickly greeted and ushered to their seats. Staff display excellent product knowledge on each dish on the menu, and are able to offer astute recommendations. As expected they serve in traditional fine dining style, and clear plates after each round of courses. Good!

Food at Shisen Hanten is Chinese Sichuan / Szechuan cuisine, though this is also complemented by other Chinese dialect dishes. Generally, dishes are kept simple, but use fresh ingredients, such that the taste of the star ingredient naturally shines through on its own. Most dishes are tasty, and above average in quality, though as comparision, you could get equally good quality like this elsewhere. Portions are either sized for individuals or for communal dining, check with the staff when ordering. Prices are moderately expensive, though not exorbitant. Still rather reasonable, budget about SGD $58 per person for a meal here.

Despite this being Iron Chef cooking, they don't serve authentic flavours here, as the level of spicy heat and oily textures has been vastly toned down in most dishes to appeal to the masses. Instead, you get more natural, clean-tasting dishes. While the ambience and service is impressive, the food is just alright, and personally, I won't be visiting again unless necessary.

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Shisen Hanten Signage

Shisen Hanten Facade

Shisen Hanten Dining Area

Chandeliers

Chandeliers

A straightforward Tea Pu-Erh, great for pairing with dishes here.

Tea Pu-Erh

The Roast Duck (SGD $38 / $72) uses plump Irish ducks, with a lovely meaty flavour. Nice balance of savoury salty in the taste, with the duck meat having a tender, slightly chewy, moist texture. The skin has a lovely smoky aroma, with a small amount of fat. Pretty good.

Roast Duck (SGD $38 / $72)

Roast Duck

Roast Duck

The Roasted Duo Combination Platter (SGD $24) is recommended for the undecided. The Barbecued Pork With Honey has a tender, moist texture, with good sweet savoury flavour. The Crispy Roast Pork is more gamey in taste than I like, but at least the skin is very crisp, crunching loudly when bit. Felt this dish was underwhelming, not worth ordering. Skip this.

Roasted Duo Combination Platter (SGD $24)

Barbecued Pork With Honey

Crispy Roast Pork

The highlight of our meal here was the Deep-Fried Fish Skin With Salted Egg Yolk (SGD $16). The piping hot strips of crisp fish skin have a satisfiyingly crunchy texture, with a good savoury salty flavour from the curry leaf spiced salted egg yolk gravy. Rich and thick in texure, I wish we had more of the gravy for dipping! Easily the best dish I had here. Highly recommended!

Deep-Fried Fish Skin With Salted Egg Yolk (SGD $16)

Deep-Fried Fish Skin With Salted Egg Yolk

The Stir-Fried Scallops With Asparagus (SGD $36) features a generous portion of plump, juicy sweet, fresh scallops, along with firm, crunchy stalks of vegetal asparagus. Lovely fragrance and clean-tasting flavours in this dish, simple, but so good.

Stir-Fried Scallops With Asparagus (SGD $36)

Stir-Fried Scallops With Asparagus

The Stir-Fried Wagyu Beef With Green Peppers (SGD $36) was recommended to us by staff, and it didn't disappoint. The combination of flavours from the tender, savoury salty wagyu beef strips, crunchy sweet bean sprouts, crunchy earthy vegetal green bell peppers / capsicums, is delicious. Each layer of flavour is distinct on its own, but still exists in harmony. Only wish for thicker cuts of beef though. Good!

Stir-Fried Wagyu Beef With Green Peppers (SGD $36)

Stir-Fried Wagyu Beef With Green Peppers

Loved the vegetable medley of the Sauteed Seasonal Vegetables With Duo Mushrooms And Truffle Oil (SGD $26), featuring fresh, tender shiitake mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, nai bai / milk cabbage, and leeks, in a savoury oyster sauce gravy. Hearty comfort food, best paired with white rice. Good!

Sauteed Seasonal Vegetables With Duo Mushrooms And Truffle Oil (SGD $26)

Sauteed Seasonal Vegetables With Duo Mushrooms And Truffle Oil

The Steamed Marble Goby Fish Soon Hock With Superior Soya Sauce (SGD $10 / 100g, $80 / 800g) was shown to us, before staff assisted to portion it out. Simple and straightforward dish, the steamed fish meat is clean-tasting, sweet, and fresh, coming off the small bones easily. The superior soya sauce lends a salty savoury depth of flavour. Delicious, but not memorable or outstanding, something most other good Chinese Zi Char restaurants can do.

Steamed Marble Goby Fish Soon Hock With Superior Soya Sauce (SGD $10 / 100g, $80 / 800g)

Steamed Marble Goby Fish Soon Hock With Superior Soya Sauce

The Stir-Fried Mee Sua With Assorted Seafood (SGD $38) was served in individual portions, and I felt it was rather underwhelming. Despite the smooth, slippery texture of the thin rice vermicelli noodles, the flavour was rather flat, and there wasn't much seafood. Disappointing.

Stir-Fried Mee Sua With Assorted Seafood (SGD $38)

Stir-Fried Mee Sua With Assorted Seafood

Loved the Steamed Custard Buns (SGD $6), with its fluffy soft bun, and within, a rich, molten custard with a bold sweet savoury flavour. The family took to playing with these, trying to recreate faces in the buns. Absolutely loved how tasty these were. Highly recommended!

Steamed Custard Buns (SGD $6)

Steamed Custard Buns

Reserve a table now @ Shisen Hanten

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Update Jan-2022: More than 5 years on, and Shisen Hanten remains a stalwart of Modern Chinese fine dining, having maintained its 2 Michelin star status all these years. Accordingly, the ambience, service, and food quality at Shisen Hanten has been consistently upheld, though prices have risen to keep pace with market forces. Budget about SGD $90 per person for a meal here.

Shisen Hanten Signage

Shisen Hanten Seating

Chandelier

The Pu-Erh Tea (SGD $6 per pax) is straightforward with mild earthy flavour. In terms of maturity, it's relatively the same as elsewhere, barely justifying the high price, even despite refills. The cup is also rather small, and just 2 mouthfulls would empty it, requiring staff to constantly refill.

Pu-Erh Tea (SGD $6 per pax)

The House XO Sauce (SGD $Complimentary) looks fiery. It isn't, carrying a mild hint of spice with predominant savoury salty shrimpy flavour instead. Pairs well with most dishes.

House XO Sauce (SGD $Complimentary)

A classic Sichuan / Szechuan appetizer, the Pickled Mustard Greens (SGD $Complimentary) are best nibbled when served at the start of the meal. These chilled crunchy pickled mustard greens have a bright vegetal sour salty spice flavour, tingling the palate. Good!

Pickled Mustard Greens (SGD $Complimentary)

Loved the Deep-Fried Fish Skin With Salted Egg Yolk (SGD $16) which was beautifully executed. The pacific dory fish skin pieces were large, cracking satisfyingly with a loud crisp crunch. Coated with a thick luscious sauce of salted duck egg yolks and curry leaves, each piece bursts with addictive salty savoury spice flavour. Highly recommended!

Deep-Fried Fish Skin With Salted Egg Yolk (SGD $16)

Deep-Fried Fish Skin With Salted Egg Yolk

The Classic Peking Duck With Condiments (SGD $40 Half) here is above average. The Peking Duck 1st Serving has crispy thin duck skin, with bold salty savoury flavour, cracking with a gentle crunch. There's also tender and moist slices of succulent duck meat, with meaty savoury salty flavour. The Mandarin Pancake holds together well without breaking, and has light grainy sweet flavour with a slight chew. The Cucumbers & Spring Onions lend a juicy crisp crunch, with bright vegetal sweet flavour. A thick dollop of Tian Mian Sauce / Sweet Bean Sauce completes the Peking Duck Wrap, lending bold earthy sweet flavour. Good!

Classic Peking Duck With Condiments (SGD $40 Half)

Mandarin Pancake

Cucumbers & Spring Onions

Peking Duck 1st Serving

Tian Mian Sauce / Sweet Bean Sauce

Peking Duck Wrap

The Foie Gras Chawanmushi With Crab Roe Soup (SGD $36 per pax) is a fusion dish, part soup, part pudding. At the base sits the wobbly soft chawanmushi / egg custard pudding, topped with chunks of succulent foie gras duck liver, and covered with a thick gloopy crab roe and deshelled crab meat soup. Dig in, and you'll get mellow meaty eggy sweet savoury herbal flavour. Intriguing combination of textures, and nicely filling. Worth ordering!

Foie Gras Chawanmushi With Crab Roe Soup (SGD $36 per pax)

Foie Gras Chawanmushi With Crab Roe Soup

The Sichuan Hot And Sour Seafood Soup (SGD $15 per pax) is a classic. Warm with bold sour spicy savoury flavour, the thick and gloopy soup is filled with pork strips, black fungus / cloud ear fungus, cabbage, deshelled prawns, and deshelled crab meat. A dash of black vinegar lends a good tangy sour kick. Pure comfort dish, warms the soul. Choose to add chili oil on the side if you want it more spicy. Good!

Sichuan Hot And Sour Seafood Soup (SGD $15 per pax)

Sichuan Hot And Sour Seafood Soup

The Steamed Marble Goby With Superior Soya Sauce (SGD $12 per 100g, $96 per 800g) features a medium sized, fresh soon hock / marble goby fish, steamed with leeks in a superior soya sauce. The fish meat is tender moist flaky, clean-tasting with natural sweet savoury flavour, coming easily off the large bones. The gravy lends a salty savoury note that enhances the aroma and tastes, so nice. Good!

Steamed Marble Goby With Superior Soya Sauce (SGD $12 per 100g, $96 per 800g)

Steamed Marble Goby With Superior Soya Sauce

Didn't enjoy the Stir-Fried Wagyu Beef With Oyster Sauce (SGD $40), as the beef tasted past due. We returned this to the kitchen, and they kindly offered our desserts complimentary.

Stir-Fried Wagyu Beef With Oyster Sauce (SGD $40)

Stir-Fried Wagyu Beef With Oyster Sauce

Loved the Sautéed Broccoli With Duo Mushrooms And Truffle (SGD $30), which had large fresh crunchy broccoli florets with bright vegetal sweet flavour. Accompanied with tender slippery succulent slices of mushrooms (shiitake and king oyster) with robust vegetal earthy salty herbal flavour. A gravy of black pepper and truffle oil lends a bold earthy salty peppery spice flavour, perfuming the dish with fragrant enticing aroma. Highly recommended!

Sautéed Broccoli With Duo Mushrooms And Truffle (SGD $30)

Sautéed Broccoli With Duo Mushrooms And Truffle

Sautéed Broccoli With Duo Mushrooms And Truffle

The remainder of the Peking Duck 2nd Serving (SGD $14 Half) was served in our choice of Diced Peking Duck Meat and Lettuce wrap. You get the fresh juicy crisp crunch of the lettuce and its vegetal sweet flavour, then the robust meaty savoury salty earthy flavours of the duck meat filling. Good!

Peking Duck 2nd Serving (SGD $14 Half)

Lettuce

Diced Peking Duck Meat

The Stir-Fried Mee Sua Vermicelli With Assorted Seafood (SGD $38) was very good. The long silky smooth strands of mee sua / rice vermicelli noodles have absorbed the sweet salty savoury flavours of the seafood stock, and the garnishings of crisp bean sprouts, soft egg, and bouncy deshelled prawns complement well. Best with a bit of chopped red chili for added spicy kick. Highly recommended!

Stir-Fried Mee Sua Vermicelli With Assorted Seafood (SGD $38)

Stir-Fried Mee Sua Vermicelli With Assorted Seafood

We were offered the Aloe Vera And Lemongrass Jelly With Yuzu Sorbet (SGD $8.80 per pax) complimentary. This is a dessert in 2 parts, the first being the chilled syrup with lemongrass jelly and aloe vera bits, having a floral herbal sweet flavour. The other is the icey yuzu sorbet with fruity tangy sour sweet flavour, paired with juicy passionfruit boba pearls which burst with bright fruity sweet flavour, making you crave more. Good!

Aloe Vera And Lemongrass Jelly With Yuzu Sorbet (SGD $8.80 per pax)

Aloe Vera And Lemongrass Jelly With Yuzu Sorbet

We were offered the Mango Pudding (SGD $8.50 per pax) complimentary, and it was excellent. The texture is wobbly smooth, with a good dense bounce, a testament to its quality. The mango pudding holds a balanced fruity sweet flavour, not overly cloying, with chunks of juicy mango within. Garnished with mint leaves, and slices of juicy strawberry which lends a color contrast and a lovely fruity sweet note. Highly recommended!